Village, Intermodal companies reach deal

Funding will assist in repairing roadways

Steve Rappach

Reporter

srappach@reviewonline.com

WELLSVILLE — Following nearly two years of discussions on how to fund the paving of village roads, Wellsville officials have reached an agreement with several businesses at the Wellsville Intermodal Facility to help with that funding.

On Tuesday, council approved a memorandum of understanding with the six businesses known as the Wellsville Business Coalition. Those businesses will pay the village an annual contribution, with the money divided between the village’s Street Paving Fund and the village’s general fund.

The agreement is good for five years, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2018, and expiring Dec. 31, 2022. The coalition’s first installment, which will cover the 2018 and 2019 calendar years, will consist of $85,714.20, of which $38,714.20 of that installment will go toward the Street Paving Fund, with the remaining amount placed in the general fund.

Money for the Street Paving Fund will go toward paving of the truck route including Clark Avenue commencing at Quality Liquid Feeds and Pier 48 to 17th Street, and from 17th to Main Street, then to Nevada Street, and then to the Marathon terminal.

Starting Jan. 1, 2020, each of the six businesses will be required to pay $7,142.85 each year, with the money equally divided between the Street Paving and General funds. A 3-percent late fee will be assessed in the event a business fails to make a payment by their due date.

The passage of the ordinance follows lengthy discussions between the village and the coalition members.

At one time, village officials contemplated enforcing a tipping fee against the companies to help pay for repair and maintenance of the roads.

Last year, council passed an ordinance that required businesses pay a fee for all bulk materials shipped to and from the village, citing damage to the roads due to truck and vehicle traffic from the coalition.

The ordinance, passed Aug. 1, 2017, did not receive unanimous approval. In fact, it was a split decision amongst council. Mayor Nancy Murray cast the deciding vote in favor of the tipping fee, resulting in the ordinance’s passage.

Council, however, has not enforced the tipping fee due to backlash from the coalition and a reported negative impact on the companies.

Also as part of the new agreement, the village shall not enforce weight limits on listed routes utilized by the coalition’s trucks, but should a truck vary from the normal route the village then does reserve the right to enforce weight limits on those roadways.

The MOU was approved 5-0 with Rosie Gibson absent due to illness.

The street fund agreement was one of four pieces of legislation approved Tuesday. The other three pieces were:

— An ordinance approving the sale of property located at 1033 Commerce St. The property was awarded to Bill Martin of Salineville, who provided the winning bid of $2,500, the highest of two bids presented. The other bid, submitted by J.C. Coulter of Riverside Avenue, was $300.

— An ordinance which established the wages and other conditions for regular full-time non-safety employees, and repealed three previous ordinances in the process.

— A resolution which allowed the administrator to grant a one-time variance from the application fee and security deposit for work by the Columbia Gas Co.